Total Drama Halloween Spooktacular!
by Lucky and Witty Number18
Summary: After TDWT, Chris gets some of the cast to help with a fundraiser in an old house to promote the show. First time Dunc,Court,Gwen,andTrent will be seeing each other since TDWT. Tensions fly and a curse causes the boys to go through some monstrous changes!
1. It was Chris's bright idea

Hey everybody, LuckyNumber18-1 here! Yeah this project was not originally under my upcoming projects list, but because Halloween is creeping up on us and I've had this idea in my head for a while now, I thought "What the heck..." and decided to submit it. This story is set only a few months after the end of Total Drama World Tour. Duncan is dating Gwen, Heather survived the volcano boulder, and no one has seen Alejandro or Zeke. The cast members are trying to get on with their lives when Chris decides pull this little Halloween Spooktacular stunt to garner more attention for the show. Although Gwen and Duncan are officially dating in the beginning of this story, I wanted to use this story to explore something I really feel that the fans are craving. An explanation as to why Duncan cheated on Courtney and did not even have the strength to talk to her directly. I am pro DxC and this story will explore their history and will lead to reconciliation for them, but I am in no way going to "bash" Gwen's character in this story. She may have made some poor choices, but I honestly believe she is a good person. This story will also deal with why Trent and Gwen broke up in the first place and may include a reconciliation between these characters as well. This story solely expresses my opinions, and although I support certain couples, any "bashing" by supporters for ANY couples will be looked down upon by me. Now that's out of the way, please enjoy this story, as Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, and yes I WILL be turning some of the Total Drama BOYS into MONSTERS to make things exciting. I already know what types of monsters they are going to be, but I'd love to hear peoples guesses. ENJOY! UPDATE: CHANGED FORMAT SO THAT IT WOULDN'T LOOK WEIRD ON THE MOBILE VERSION AND FIXED TYPOS.

Chapter 1

It was a warm, autumn afternoon in late October in a quiet suburban town in Canada. Usually around this time of year, kids were finally getting used to being back in school, and adults began worrying about flu shots and if their autumn wardrobe was up to date. However, this particular year was unusual for the town because they had been selected as the winners of a contest held by the host of the Total Drama Series, Chris McLean. This town would have the distinct honor of hosting the first ever Total Drama Halloween Spooktacular! A teen girl who was a fan of the series had submitted some pictures of her quaint town on the Chris McLean Fansite, and Chris had thought that the area would be a great place to do a Halloween special and garner more media attention to promote the series. Chris immediately came with the idea of a Halloween party and even told the media that the event would also serve as a charity fundraiser for underprivileged kids, offer a safe alternative to Trick or Treating, and the townspeople and others could buy tickets to meet and party with their favorite Total Drama Cast members. Unfortunately, Chris failed to remember that most of the cast were not exactly on friendly terms with him and none of them had signed up to participate in this event. Chris, never being one to let technicalities get in his way, implored the more charitable members of the cast, such as Bridgette and LeShawna to help with the event. The girls, despite their distrust of Chris, honestly liked the idea and implored their fellow cast members to participate for the sake of charity. Bridgette was able to convince Courtney to participate by saying that if she planned the event and it was a success, she could put that on her résumé to increase her chances of getting into a good college. She also managed to convince Geoff to help because he was her boyfriend and he had also said he might be interested in becoming a professional party planner when he older. LeShawna appealed to Gwen as her friend to help and also promised her that she could help with the decorations. Harold promised he would participate if LeShawna was going to be there, and Duncan said he would help Gwen because she was his girlfriend after all. Harold had sent messages to his fellow band-mates from the Total Drama Brothers, and Trent and Cody had expressed some interest in helping out as well. The rest of the cast mates were more reluctant to get involved, but some like Heather said they might come to make an appearance, but would want no part in actually helping plan the event. Unfortunately for those who had already committed to showing up to the party, Chris dropped a bomb when he sent the cast an email saying that the studio did not have the funds to actually pay to set up the fundraiser and that the cast would to set up everything themselves. This series of events leads to the story you will be reading tonight as the cast attempts to set up a Halloween party in an old house that may give the Total Drama cast a Halloween they'll never forget, no matter how hard they try.

A/N: So first chapters up. Just to let you guys know, even if a cast member has expressed interest in helping with the Spooktacular, he or she may not be with the rest of the characters later in the story, but instead are helping elsewhere and will probably arrive with the rest of the guests once the party actually starts. Remember to Read and Review!


	2. Some bumps along the road

A/N: Hey guys, I already had chapter 2 typed up, so I thought I might as well actually get you guys started on the main story since the last chapter was mostly an introduction. I'll be the first to admit typing conversations has always been awkward for me, just because I'm always second guessing myself on whether I'm being grammatically correct. I've looked at conversation formats in other fics, so I hope I doing this correctly. Besides that, writing for Duncan and Gwen in this chapter was done because I actually found myself asking, "If I was this character, what would I say in this situation." Anyway, enough blab from me...

Chapter 2

The wind blew through the trees as the sun began to set, turning the sky a rich shade of orange that resembled an overly ripe pumpkin when a rusty, old car came sputtering down the road. Inside the car, Duncan was driving with an annoyed expression on his face while Gwen was holding a bag of decorations on her lap. Duncan turned to his girlfriend and asked in a tone that matched his expression, "Are you sure we're going the right way?"

It was Gwen's turn to look annoyed as she responded for what seemed to be the hundredth time, "Yes, I'm sure we're almost there. Just keep following this road, and make a right at the next stop sign."

"I can't believe you and Bridgette talked me into this. I thought after we escaped that stupid volcano we would never have to see Chris's overly moisturized mug again."

"And I can't believe how many times I have to tell you that we're not doing this for Chris. We're doing this because this is a good idea to raise some money for some kids and have some fun during my favorite holiday."

"Hmph, some fun! I can't believe Chris is such a cheapskate that he could not hire a crew to set this thing up!"

"Duncan, I get it, the man's the devil incarnate, but you complaining won't help solve anything! Let's just get this done and then we'll have some time to plan an especially delicious prank for Chris when he shows up."

Duncan smiled at this and said, "Yeah, even though my brothers are total goody-goodies now that they're officially on the police force, back the when I was a kid they used to come up with some awesome pranks on Halloween. There was this one time we tricked our next-door neighbor, Mrs. Fowler by switching her denture cleaning solution with dye. For a whole week the ol' girl had teeth as green as a fresh-cut lawn." Duncan burst into a fit of laughter at the recollection of such fond childhood memories, but Gwen did not look amused.

"How could you guys trick a little old lady like that?"

"Trust me, there was nothing little about that woman. She was around six feet tall and weighed three hundred pounds. She would also take kids' toys if they ever landed on her yard. I lost three perfectly good soccer balls to that witch."

Gwen rolled her eyes as Duncan turned by the stop sign. Directly in front them, a large, gothic house came into view, resting on top of a hill where the grass was crispy and brown. Duncan drove until they entered the front yard area and crudely parked a few feet from the front porch. The couple exited the car and Duncan whistled as he lifted his head to take in the entire house in front of him.

Gwen smiled and said, "Yeah, its great isn't it. It looks just like the house from that movie, Bloody Gore 3: Terror in the Foyer."

Just as the Duncan was about to respond, they both heard what sounded like a crash coming from within the house. Seconds later, the front door burst open as Bridgette exited the house with a cloud of dust trailing behind her.

The blonde surfer turned towards the doorway and shouted, "Geoff! Please be careful! We're never going to be ready for tonight if you keep making a mess!"

From inside the house, an apologetic Geoff called out, "Sorry Babe!"

Bridgette turned and saw Duncan and Gwen staring at her with confused expressions. Bridgette's eyes lit up and she said, "You guys made it! Great, we could use all the help we can get."

"Obviously," Duncan responded, "You look like you just got into a fight with a vacuum cleaner and lost."

Bridgette sighed wistfully, "Not quite, but I actually think that would be better than the situation we actually have on our plates right now. I knew this house was old, but what Chris failed to tell us was that nobody has lived here for decades! It's a complete disaster in there, and when I called Chris, he said we would have to clean up the place before the party tonight."

An angry look crossed Duncan's face as he said, "Ugh, that no good worm. That's it I'm outta here. I'm not gonna put up with his crap."

Just as he was about to open the car door, Gwen grabbed his hand and said, "Duncan, wait. I know this looks bad. But I really was hoping that we could work on this party. I've always loved gothic architecture and this place is like a dream come true for me. I know that it'll be a lot more work than we thought, but could you please stick around to help."

Duncan looked into Gwen's pleading eyes and sighed, "Fine, I'll help. It's not like I really have anything to do anyway. Besides, you, me, Geoff, and Bridgette can work well enough together to set everything up by tonight."

"Actually…" Bridgette said with a nervous tinge to her voice.

Suddenly, familiar voice called from the front door, "Bridgette, what's taking you so long out here?"

Both Gwen and Duncan turned to see Courtney emerge from the dusty house with an apron tied around her waist and mixing bowl in her hands.

Gwen let out a low moan, while Duncan murmured, "Aw crap."

A/N: Yeah DxC fans, I know Duncan's reaction to Courtney right now is less than enthusiastic, but you guys have to remember that she has been threatening both Duncan and Gwen to make their lives miserable after the breakup. Despite all the stuff that going to happen to them in the later chapters, I choose the premise of this project because it is going to force them to have to work together towards a common goal. In working together I plan for these two to actually communicate exactly why Duncan chose to leave her and Courtney's own opinions on their relationship, the breakup, and what followed. Remember kiddies, 18-1 likes reviews! (and Halloween candy but you don't have to give me that).


	3. The Return of the Exes

Chapter 3

A/N: Courtney and Duncan's eyes met, and as if by some poorly-conceived plot twist, they totally forgave each other, ran into each other's arms, and kissed passionately. Then, Gwen burst into flames and a winged-unicorn (a pegacorn?) appeared and carried the happy couple into the sunset…NOT! Sorry guys, fluff serves its function, but in this story you're going to have to settle for a nice old complicated plot. I actually am pleasantly surprised though, because from the reviews, a plot seems to be exactly what you guys want. I am so sorry that it took me so long to update, but I wanted to finish up my Total Drama Hero Profiles. Now that it's finally finished, you guys can check it out and I can focus on this story. To **Princess Absahail**, yours was the first review I got for this story and I've got to say to that it one of the nicest things anyone has ever told me. My profiles in the Heroes story were an exercise in creativity, but this story is an exercise that I've used to develop both my style and the way I have different characters interact with each other. It's comment like yours that encourage me to write, and as soon as I have a chance, I will try to write some detailed reviews for your stories, which I loved reading. To **Ducktape980** and **AzelmaandEponine**, I'll try to finish this story before Halloween, but some more reviews would definitely help me feel the love. To my new readers, I'd like to announce that I've opened up anonymous reviews, so even you guys who don't have fanfic accounts or are just don't wanna log in, just leave me your general thoughts. Now onto the actual story, (sorry kids, but there will be no actual Pegacorns).

Courtney stared down at Duncan and Gwen from the porch and an annoyed look came over her face. Her eyes narrowed as she turned towards Bridgette and asked, "Ugh, what are THOSE two doing here?"

"Nice to see you too Courtney…" Gwen muttered under her breath.

Bridgette turned to Courtney and said in a reassuring tone, "Courtney, Duncan and Gwen are here to help out with the party like the rest of us, and from what Chris said earlier, we're going to need all the help we can get!"

Courtney rolled her eyes and turned to go back into the house as she said, "Fine, whatever, it's not like I have anything to say The Neanderthal or his backstabber girlfriend anyway…"

Duncan became angry at this and said, "Yeah because it's always a real treat talking to you too, Courtney!"

Courtney froze in the doorway for a second and looked as though she might turn around to answer back, but instead she heaved an aggravated sigh and headed back into the house.

Gwen turned to Bridgette and asked, "Are we going to have to spend the entire day working with CIT-zilla in there?"

Bridgette looked annoyed at this and said, "Guys, she's been here since this morning and has been working really hard with the rest of us. I know she may still be pretty upset about you guys hooking up, but she's really helped out a lot so far. She actually managed to get the kitchen in working order and has been baking since Chris told us that we would have to supply everything for tonight."

Bridgette, Duncan, and Gwen walked up the stairs and towards the front door and Gwen said in a deadpanned tone, "Alright, we get it. She's a workaholic. Just keep her away from me. After all those stunts she pulled on the show to try to get me eliminated, I won't put it past her to slip me a poisoned apple tonight."

Duncan laughed at Gwen's comment, but Bridgette looked unconvinced and said, "You guys wouldn't have to be near each other at all. Duncan, you can help Geoff clean up the foyer, while Gwen and I work upstairs."

Duncan held the front door open for the two girls as they entered the house and asked casually, "Yeah, but if Geoff and I are working on the foyer, Courtney's in the kitchen, and you girls are upstairs, then who's setting up the decorations?"

"Well…" Bridgette said, the nervous tinge entering her voice again.

Gwen, who was focusing on Bridgette, did not look where she was going and accidentally bumped into a figure whose face was blocked by the nine identical Jack O'Lanterns he was carrying. The pumpkins came tumbling down and the figure and Gwen both scrambled to pick them up to pick them. Gwen apologized profusely, saying, "Oh My Gosh! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there…" As she raised her head to see who she had bumped into, her sentence trailed off as her own dark eyes met Trent's green ones. With an embarrassed smile on his face, Trent said, "Hey, Gwen."

A/N: Hm, character introductions seem to make good cliff hangers, don't they? The next chapter will explain where some of the other characters are and how they're helping plan the party. Hope you guys are digging this so far. Please read and review and the next chapter will be up soon.


	4. So much to do, So little time

Chapter 4

A/N: Yeah, that whole finish Halloween thing didn't happen, but I can't apologize for it. I'm going to be honest with you guys and tell you right now that this is strictly a hobby for me. As a hobby, that means it gets put on the backburner when my main priorities need attention. Also, not a lot reviews for this either so that definitely bummed me out a bit. I hope this next chapter can change that because it is the longest one for this story so far. As for the reviewers for last chapter: Princess Absahail, I'm glad I could make you smile. That kind of comment always makes me happy and know that I'm doing a good job.I don't try to live up to anybody's standards when I write, but I love your Total Drama stories so your criticism is always welcome. By the way, I think I like the word "Pegacorn," so I'm gonna keep using it. Yay! Disregard for proper English! To honey-boo-skii, glad you like the tension, because there's going to be a lot of it in this story! I hope this chapter is long enough! To ShikaInoInuKikichiHime36, hehe I like your name. However, your comment is not very helpful. Do you hate the way I am writing Gwen's character or just her character in general. If the it's the first, please tell me what I'm doing wrong, if it's the second, then I respect your opinion but I've already said in the first chapter that I don't think she's a bad person. I just think she made a mistake with Duncan, but that's just me. Thanks you guys and on onto the story:

Gwen lowered her gaze from Trent's and saw that her hand was resting upon his when they had both awkwardly tried to pick up the pumpkins. Gwen heard a cough from behind her, and turned to see Duncan looking at her and Trent with an irritated expression on his face. Gwen quickly pulled her hand away and a bright red blush bloomed on her pale cheeks. Trent rose and helped Gwen up from floor while Duncan said, "Great, is anybody else's boyfriend or girlfriend going to magically appear?" As if on cue, a ladder that had been a few inches away from the group fell to ground and a scream rang out directly above them. Geoff plummeted toward the ground, but luckily Duncan stretched out his arms and managed to catch him. Bridgette let out a frightened shriek and ran over to check to if he was okay. Geoff cracked open an eye and checked himself over before letting out a throaty laugh and said, "WOOT! What an adrenaline rush!"

"Oh My God! Baby, are you okay?" Bridgette asked as she looked him over.

"No sweat babe! I'm still feeling as righteous as ever!"

"Great…" Duncan said, looking even more irritated than before, "then you won't mind getting off me then!" With that being said, Duncan unceremoniously dumped Geoff onto the ground.

"Harsh, dude," Geoff said as he rose from the floor, rubbing his sore bottom, "But, it's great that you guys made it! Chris totally bailed on us and now we have to scramble to get this shindig set up before everybody gets here tonight."

"Actually I was kind of wondering about that too," Gwen said as she helped Trent pick up the Jack O' Lanterns they had dropped. "Where is everybody else? LeShawna told me that she would be helping out with this thing and that she had gotten a bunch of the other cast-mates to help too."

"She did Gwen." Bridgette said, just as she finished checking over Geoff, "She managed to get Harold, Trent, and Cody to perform as the Total Drama Brothers tonight. Justin said he wasn't able to help plan the party because he had a modeling job early today, but he might be showing up later tonight with the rest of the guests."

"Doesn't matter dudes," Geoff said with a big grin on his face, "I've been practicing playing the drums since the end of Season Three, so I can totally sub in if Justin can't show up tonight."

"He's actually not half bad you guys," said Bridgette when the others looked slightly skeptical about Geoff being able to play an instrument. This was after all, a guy who prided himself on playing a "wicked" air-guitar.

Bridgette continued, "LeShawna took the curtains and the rugs to get cleaned. Harold and Cody went to get the band equipment for the performance tonight, Noah is bringing some cool gaming equipment, and DJ and his mom went back to their house to help with catering."

Duncan raised an eyebrow at this and said, "I thought you said that Courtney was in the kitchen doing the cooking for tonight?"

"No, Courtney's taking care of the baking. DJ left her with some recipes for cupcakes, cookies, and other things. She went to the supermarket in town and managed to wrangle up some ingredients. She also managed to clean out the kitchen, but DJ and his mom said they could make some of their awesome sandwiches if they used ingredients from their own kitchen. DJ said they should be back right before the party started."

"So DJ's mom going to do this all for free?" Duncan asked disbelievingly.

"Since it's a cause for charity, DJ's mom said this would be their contribution. Also…DJ and his mom are trying to start a catering company since their cooking show was cancelled. If the party is a success, it would be great publicity for their business."

Gwen placed the pumpkins she had gathered on a nearby table and said, "If they could get Chris to move from in front of the camera for two seconds."

Bridgette smiled and said, "Actually we'll be on the air before Chris even gets here. Sierra has been blogging nonstop about the party, and lots of people said either they'll be watching the telecast or actually driving up to attend the party themselves. That's why we've all been working so hard. Sierra will interview the arriving guests and make sure that people focus on the charity rather than Chris's latest hair product."

The others nodded knowingly and Gwen said, "Well, if everybody else is making such an effort to help, getting this place into partying condition is the least we can do. Duncan and I brought a whole bunch of things to help decorate the place."

Geoff reached into the bag that Gwen had brought out and pulled out an exact replica of a human skeleton. He yelped with fright, dropped it to the ground, and said, "Geez Dudette! You went all out with the shopping this year!"

A mischievous grin spread across her face and she retorted, "Thanks, I brought a whole bunch of other stuff that's outside in the trunk of the car… and by the way, that's actually from my personal collection from my closet back home."

Geoff's face paled as Bridgette put her hand on Gwen's shoulder and said, "That reminds me, when I was cleaning upstairs I found some cool old stuff in the attic. You've got to come with me and check it out!"

With that being said, Bridgette led Gwen upstairs while Geoff turned to Duncan and said, "Does she really have stuff like that in her closet?"

Both Trent and Duncan said, "Yup," simultaneously and Duncan shot Trent a nasty glare.

Geoff, sensing the tension between the two, decided to play peacemaker and said, "Hey Trent! Help me prop up the ladder so that I can finish working on the chandelier. Duncan dude! Why don't you head out to the car and get the rest of the decorations?"

Geoff wrapped his arm around Trent and led him to the fallen ladder, while Duncan rolled his eyes and headed out to the car.

A/N: Yep, so that's where everybody is. You know the local supermarket is not carrying the fancy ingredients DJ claims to put in his sandwiches, so that's why he had to head home to make them. Courtney's the only character I know who has the sheer will to tackle both cleaning and cooking in an ancient kitchen without any help. Duncan is definitely not pleased that Gwen and Trent are so "comfortable" around each other, but the punk have his own problems to deal with when he and Courtney will have a "heart-to-heart" conversation. Finally, what mysteries will Gwen and Bridgette unlock when she enters the attic of the house? Find out in the next chapter of TOTAL DRAMA SPOOKTACULAR! MUHAHAHahaha, cough, cough. Does anybody have a lozenge?


	5. Oh those dreary Dredges

A/N: Hey everybody! "Neglected readers turn towards me with anger in their eyes and rotten tomatoes in their hands" Um, how's it goin... "Before I can finish, I'm pelted with so many rotten tomatoes, I look like a reject from a French Fry commercial." ...going. "Wipes face." Alright, alright. I'm sorry it took me so long to update. Life's been crazy and I've been caught up in it, but miraculously I've managed to type this chapter out. As for my reviewers: PhenomsServant: Thank You, I know you're waiting for the Superhero Profiles, and I thank you for both your patience and kind words. Princess Absahail: Thank you for being one of my only earlier readers to return to review this story. I'm going to review my favorites of your stories this weekend! And also I'd like to give a big shout to D0ll and Can'tHelpFallingInLoveWithYou. These guys are my new Formspring friends and are a blast to talk to. Anyway onto the story:

Disclaimer: I don't own Total Drama and I never will... Your reviews will determine whether I should feel sad about this fact or not...

Chapter 5

Gwen coughed and waved the cobwebs away from her face as she and Bridgette made their way through the attic. Bridgette and the others had cleaned most of the upper corridor earlier, but couldn't get into any of the upper rooms because the doors had been locked and they didn't have a key. At the end of the corridor was a hatch in the ceiling with a draw-cord dangling below. Bridgette had pulled on the cord, which opened to reveal a descending fold-out staircase that led up into the attic. Bridgette had decided not to bother cleaning up the attic because no one would probably want to go into that part of the house during the party. However, out of curiosity she had decided to take a peek and was shocked by how much old stuff was up there. She knew that Gwen was a history buff and would get a kick out of seeing this, so Bridgette led her upstairs and they made their way through the attic, each girl with a flashlight in her hand. Gwen was honestly impressed as she stared across the attic at the piles of old clothing and furniture that were braced up against the walls.

"Hey Gwen," Bridgette called from her right. Gwen turned and had to bite her lip to hold in a giggle. Perched atop Bridgette's head was a large, old hat decorated with huge, colorful feathers. Bridgette struck a pose and said in a funny, snooty accent, "I say Lady Gwen, enchanting to have your over for teatime this lovely afternoon."

Gwen, playing along, grabbed a dusty, wine-colored feather boa from a mannequin next her, draped it around her own neck, and said in an equally ridiculous accent, "Oh no no no, the pleasure is all mine Lady Bridgette, as my dear ol' Grandmama used to say, "If there are tea and crumpets to taste, one should never let them go to waste." Both girls burst out giggling at that point and sat down on a nearby chest.

"That was hilarious," Bridgette said as she took the hat off her head, "I haven't done anything like that since I used to play dress up as a little girl."

"I know what you mean," said Gwen as she absentmindedly twirled the end of her boa, "That's what I love about Halloween. You get to put different clothes than what you usually wear on and pretend to be somebody else for a while. It kind of lets you explore who you could have been if you hadn't ended up as you are."

Bridgette nodded meditatively over the idea, then rose from the chest and began to examine some of the other articles of clothing in the attic. "It's so weird," she said as she rubbed her fingers against some the old fabric, "Despite the dust, this stuff is in pretty good condition. You think moths or something would have wrecked them by now."

Gwen raised an eyebrow and said, "That is really strange; let me take a look at that." She rose to examine the fabric Bridgette was holding when she jerked to a stop. She turned and saw that the end of her boa had caught on the clasp of the chest she had been sitting on. With a rough tug, she tried to free the boa, but instead the boa pulled the lid of the chest open, the chest tipped over, and the contents spilled onto the floor.

"Oh Geez…" Gwen said as she reached down and tried to pick up the papers and Bridgette walked over to help her. As the girls tried to collect the papers together, Gwen looked the papers and her eyes widened. She turned to Bridgette and said, "Hey Bridgette, look at these."

Bridgette turned and saw among the papers was a faded, sepia photo with a group of people standing in front of what looked like the old house they currently were in. At the bottom of the photo, written in neat cursive, were the words: _Dredge Manor_. Bridgette turned the photo over and saw the names of the people in the photo, listed from left to right. One name towards the middle caught Bridgette's attention as she looked at the list, Diana Dredge. She turned the photo over and saw a young woman standing towards the center of the photograph. She was very pretty and looked about Bridgette's age. She had light curls that framed her face in a classic Victorian-style and was wearing a dark dress that was covered with beautiful patterns and a matching bow perched atop her head. She also had bright eyes that were staring adoringly at a tall, handsome boy standing next to her. The boy had dark curly hair and was staring directly towards where the camera would've been with an impassive expression on his face. Bridgette turned the photo over again and found the name written next to Diana's, Walter Pigford. Next to Walter and Diana's names were the names Eustace and Francine Dredge, referring to a tall, skinny man who was bald and had a large mustache covering his mouth and a stout, plump woman with curls framing her face like Diana. Their clothes were similar in design to Diana's, so Bridgette assumed that these people were her parents. Bridgette looked down at Gwen and asked, "Hey Gwen, do you think that these were the original owners of the house?"

Gwen, who had been peering through the papers while Bridgette had been looking at the photo said, "It seems like it. One of these papers looks like the deed to the house, and it's signed by Eustace Dredge. Apparently he owned a factory not too far from here called Dredge's Fabric Processing Plant, but it went out of business a long time ago."

Gwen handed Bridgette a newspaper clipping she had found among the documents from the chest, the headline read, "_Heiress Heartbroken Halloween Night_: Diana Dredge's fiancé Walter Pigford Disappears Without A Trace!"

"I wonder what happened to him?" Gwen mused as she finished stacking the papers and opened the lid to place them back into the chest when she noticed there was something at the bottom. She set the papers aside and reached in to pull out a small, black book with the word "DIARY" embossed in golden print on the cover.

Gwen turned to Bridgette and said, "Hey, look at this." Bridgette bent down and took the diary from Gwen, staring at the black cover. She opened the book and both girls saw the words, "Property of Diana Dredge" written neatly on first page. Bridgette flipped through the pages, but they were disappointed to that the rest of the book was blank. As Bridgette closed the cover, a faint cloud of green dust escaped from the book, causing both girls to start coughing. From the hatch that the girls had used to enter the attic, Geoff's playful voice called out, "Bridge? Babe? You up there? Hurry up and help us finish getting ready for tonight! You and Gwen can check out that old stuff after we're done."

In between her coughs, Bridgette responded, "Sorry Sweetie, we'll be right down." With that said, Bridgette rose from the ground, helped Gwen to her feet, and both girls made their way to the exit. Bridgette still held the diary in her hands, having forgotten to put it back into the chest with the papers. However, neither girl noticed the cloud of green dust that had emerged from the diary earlier seemed to be following them, winding through the air like a serpent waiting for the right moment to strike.

A/N: Yep, a nice ol' friendly moment between Gwen and Bridgette. Even though Bridge is Courtney's friend, she would probably work to get the two back on speaking terms rather than side with anybody. The "Tea and Crumpets" line... I wrote that myself. I don't know whether I am proud or ashamed to say that. XD I liked Gwen's line about Halloween being a time to take on a new identity, because that is how I've always seen it. So what mysteries have Gwen and Bridgette stumbled upon in the attic. Who were the Dredges? What happened to them? Why did Walter abandon Diana? How will this affect the party tonight? Read and Review and I swear the next chapter will up soon.


	6. Hairy Situation

A/N: Hiya readers, even though I didn't get 5 reviewers for the last chapter, I'm just going to post this one anyway. For those that did review: PhenomsServant: I don't know how many chapters this story is going to be, but I can guarantee that I'll start the Heroes story in January, whether this one is finished or not. Trisha: Thanks for your compliment. Yeah Duncan and Courtney will be coming up in the chapter after the next. The reason I labeled this a DxC story is that their relationship will be the focus of this story, but I would also like to address the other characters before I dive right into it. Princess Absahail: Sorry I haven't reviewed your stories as yet. My only defense is that I've been really busy. Thanks for the compliment. I always figured that Bridgette would be the one to hopefully establish some piece between Courtney and Gwen. KSherwood: I will. Thank You. Now onto Chp 6!

Disclaimer: I really wish I owned Total Drama, but I don't. However, I don't think the guys that do own it are that rich anyway.

Chapter 6

Bridgette and Gwen made their way down the stairs leading out of the attic and looked around for Geoff. Bridgette began to scratch her head and said, "Maybe he went back downstairs. We should probably…" but her sentence was abruptly cut off as she noticed two large, hairy hands, each with five pointy claws, wrap themselves her waist. Bridgette let out a shriek and acted on pure instinct. She raised the diary, which she had accidentally brought down from the attic, over her head and proceeded to pummel the hairy beast that had been behind her.

Gwen who had also been initially shocked, stopped and got a good look at exactly "who" Bridgette was pummeling, and shouted, "Bridgette, Stop! It's Geoff!"

Bridgette paused and stared down to find a battered and bruised Geoff lying on the floor, dressed up in a Werewolf costume and twitching in pain from his beating. Bridgette yelped, dropped to the floor, and the diary slipped from her hands as she wrapped her arms around Geoff and said, "Oh my gosh! Baby are you okay? I'm so sorry! Speak to me!"

Geoff whispered in a low voice, "Bridge… Is that you? Oh, I think I'm a goner. I think I see a light at the end of the tunnel! Bridge, come…closer…"

Tears welled up in Bridgette's eyes and she leaned forward to hear what seemed like Geoff's final words. Geoff tilted his head upwards… and planted a quick kiss on her lips. After he pulled his head back, he let out his trademark throaty laugh and said, "I guess that counts as both a trick AND a treat, babe!"

Bridgette's eyes went wide after the kiss but a smile crept up on her face as she said, "Geoff, you sly dog!" Bridgette's accusation actually was a pretty fitting description for how Geoff looked at the moment. He had two gloves with soft plastic claws on the ends, long, thick, brown fur on the sides of his arms and legs, and patch of fur on his chest. He had also applied some dark makeup to the tip of his nose so that it resembled a dog's snout.

Gwen walked over and admired his costume, examining the fur on his arms between her fingers and said, "Hm… not bad, though how did you get the fur to stay on?"

Geoff smiled and said, "Oh that was easy, I just used a hot-glue gun!" as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

Both Gwen and Bridgette's eyes went wide at this and the latter said, "But… how… Didn't that hurt?"

Geoff shrugged and responded, "Yeah, like crazy at first. But sacrifices must be made to achieve maximum party awesomeness! Besides, you've been working so hard to plan this party babe! If you could go all out for those kids, then the least I could do is have a killer costume."

Bridgette's cheeks turned a bright shade of red and she said, "Oh Geoff, you are so sweet!" With that the happy couple wrapped their arms around each other began to kiss passionately right in front of Gwen, who rolled her eyes at the public display of affection. No one noticed though, that the diary Bridgette dropped earlier began to glow a sickly shade of green, pulsing with a strange type of energy that made a sound that faintly resembled the sound of a heartbeat. From the open pages within the diary, small green specks of dust rose into the air, unnoticeable to the three teens present. The dust specks seemed to whirl around Bridgette and Geoff's feet for a moment before suddenly shooting rapidly towards Geoff's face. The dust specks launched themselves into Geoff's nose just as he had pulled his lips off of Bridgette's, causing he to erupt into a coughing fit.

Gwen put her hands on her hips, expecting this to be another joke by Geoff, but Bridgette immediately asked, "Geoff? Are you okay?"

The harshness of the coughing lessened and Geoff tentatively rubbed his throat and said shakily, "Whoa that was weird. Must have been something in the air… Don't sweat it babe, I'll just go grab a bottle of water from the cooler."

"I'll come with you," Bridgette said in a worried tone, "That sounded like a really nasty cough."

As Bridgette and Geoff made their way down the stairs to the foyer, no one noticed that the diary from which the green specks had emerged was slightly trembling. The book had automatically flipped to its first blank page, and there an outline of a figure began to appear. Ink sporadically rose from the page and moved in flowing motion as though some invisible artist was guiding it. On the page appeared an image of Bridgette, lying on her back in a long, flowing gown of draping fabric. In the image, she had a dark rose held directly under her nose and had a lustful expression on her face. Underneath her image, the word _Desire _appeared.

A/N: So, we've seen the start of the magic in this tale. How will the dust affect Geoff? Why did Bridgette's image appear in the diary? What does the word _Desire _mean here? Stay tuned to find out friends! Read and Review to show me the love!


	7. More than a Friend

A/N: Wow, these were the most reviews I ever got for a chapter! I'm so happy, I'm going to update early, but don't get too used to this, because I have finals coming up, but I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter, it is one the most emotionally driven one's I've ever written. Before we start, let me give some well deserved shout outs to my reviewers.

KSherwood: A new reviewer! Nice to meet you! I definitely will continue writing and I'll check out your Total Drama stories when I have a chance.

PhenomsServant: Yeah, it is ironic that Bridgette and Geoff are the most stable, but then again their flaws keep them from being TOO perfect. Ya know what I mean?

PrincessAbsahail: Glad you liked my reviews. You've been such a loyal reviewer for me; it's the least I could do. I'm glad you like what I've done with Geoff, and your review actually helped me understand where I was going with his character. So ya think ya know where I'm going with this do ya? Private message me your guess, if you're close, I'll give you a preview of the next chapter!

Caroline: Nice to meet you. To respond to your comment: I am! I am! I am! I am! I am! ;P

Holly: I'm so sorry. I KNOW I keep promising Duncan and Courtney will be in the next chapter, but I'm begging you to wait just a little longer. It may take a little longer than I hoped folks, but when those two take center stage, I'm not even sure that the confines of your computer will be able to tame them!

Can'tHelpFallingInLoveWithYou: Hiya Jeanette, hope this helps alleviate the boredom you were talking about on Formspring. ;)

AzelmaandEponine: Hi. Haven't seen you in a while, but you're in luck…

Here's Chapter 7 everybody!

Disclaimer: I don't own Total Drama, but if I did and I wasn't making any money off of it, would I still love it? (Yes)

Chapter 7

Gwen's eyes followed Bridgette and Geoff as they walked down the stairs, not noticing the diary with its new illustration abruptly close, as though a silent wind had blown through the corridor.

Geoff may not have been the sharpest tool in the shed, but even Gwen admitted to herself reluctantly that the little trick he had just pulled had both been clever and sweet. It was not that Gwen had any ill will towards her two friends; it was just that since World Tour had ended, Duncan had seemed more… distant. After the show had ended, he had assured her that he had convinced Alejandro to flirt with Courtney and had pretended to be upset about it just to throw Courtney off her game. After he had told her this Gwen soundly punched him in the arm and reminded him that she had been the one eliminated that episode because SHE became distracted when Duncan had pretended to be upset over Courtney. The most Duncan could offer was a sheepish apology for his poorly thought out plan and Gwen had begrudgingly accepted.

Even though that was all in the past, the last few weeks of dating Duncan had not been exactly what she had expected. Gwen had loved all their similarities, such as their similar choices in fashion, their mutual appreciation of a good horror flick, and the way they didn't stifle each other with baby talk and acting all dopey around each other. However, it also was that last point that had also kind of concerned Gwen. Her friends had taken to Duncan the second they met him, unlike the cold stares they had given Trent, but Duncan had become a member of their group almost immediately. He was a great guy to hang around with when she was with her friends, but things became awkward when they by themselves. Whenever Duncan came over, he always wanted to things that they normally did with her friends. It wasn't that Gwen didn't enjoy doing these things; it was just that there was more to her than just horror movies and pranking people. Whenever she showed him some sketches from her art portfolio, he would look at them, maybe say if he liked it or not, and that would be the end of the discussion. She had one time taken him to an art gallery featuring the work of one of her other friends who was a talented sculptor. Gwen had listened with keen interest as her sculptor friend spoke to the audience of what elements he had chosen to highlight in molding the figure out the clay. Duncan, on the other hand, spent the night mostly by the buffet table, popping mini hot dogs into his mouth and occasionally trying to joke with Gwen when they walked by statues that either had exposed breasts or other private parts. Gwen couldn't deny that she found Duncan very handsome, and when they kissed… she always felt as though she were on Cloud Nine, but she also noticed that besides whenever they met up with her friends, he never really took her out much. It wasn't that Gwen wanted much… just maybe a nice dinner alone, with some food that hadn't been picked up from a drive-thru window, and for him to tell her that she looked pretty that evening. She had tried to mention the idea to him once, but he had simply turned to her with a scowl on his face and said, "Geez, what's the big deal? I thought you were laid-back, but now you're starting to sound just like Princess…"

After he had said that last word, his voice trailed off. An awkward silence filled the room, and then Duncan had made some excuse about needing to head home. He grabbed his jacket and left, while a million thoughts swarmed through Gwen's mind, "Princess? Why did he refer to Courtney as Princess? He hadn't called her that since they had broken up! Also, what was the big deal about wanting to go out for a nice date? Also, where did he get off comparing her to Courtney? It's not like she ever… ever compared him Trent."

Gwen had thought for a moment about that final point and realized that it wasn't entirely true. Even though she never said anything out loud, she could distinctly remember a few instances where she had wondered what Trent would have said if she showed him her art or how he would act and where he would take her if they were still going out. Gwen had felt guilty about having these thoughts; especially because she did have genuine feelings for Duncan, but she couldn't but wonder what things would have been like if her relationship with Trent hadn't gotten so crazy during season two.

That was one of the primary reasons she had asked Duncan to help set up the Halloween party. The Halloween theme would be something they could both enjoy and working on and it could help bring them closer together, but it seemed as though the exact opposite was occurring. Gwen hadn't so much as talked to Duncan since they had entered the house and she was sure that Courtney also being here wasn't going to help smooth out their relationship issues.

Gwen sighed and absentmindedly took a few steps back until her foot lightly bumped into the diary. Gwen looked and leaned down to pick up the book, not noticing a looming shadow beginning to creep up behind her. Gwen recognized the diary from the attic, and then remembered Bridgette pummeling Geoff with it. She stared at the cover, and suddenly had a strange desire to open it. However, just as she was about to open it, a large, pale hand placed itself upon her shoulder.

A/N: Ah cliffhangers… yeah I'm a firm believer of the old adage, "Always leave em' wanting more…" So any guesses as to who ol' pale hand is? More importantly, what did you guys think about how I addressed Duncan and Gwen's relationship. I can honestly understand why some people would ship Duncan with Gwen… but this chapter is one of many personal reasons I feel that it just wouldn't work between the two of them. To any DxG fans, feel free to critique or offer your own viewpoints, but any "Cause Courtney is a BITCH!" lines will seriously get me ticked off. If you can't think of anything better than that, then you don't deserve to be on this website.


	8. Fangs for the Memories

A/N: Hey Guys. Now THIS is the most reviews I've ever gotten for a chapter! Since last chapter dealt with the problems between Duncan and Gwen, this chapter will focus on the bond between Trent and Gwen. Although, they officially broke up in Season Two, I always felt as though their relationship went unresolved, so I hoped to go into detail on that in this chapter. Unfortunately, that means Duncan and Courtney will have to wait a bit, but I assure I will give them the full attention they deserve when the time comes. As for my reviewers: Spader13: You guessed it! Also, nice to meet you! I am glad you are enjoying the story so far and thanks for the insight into your own relationships. It's good to know that the way I'm handling the characters is seen as relatable by the readers. To StrixMoonwing: Hey Strixpunzel! I'm glad this is your fav chapter so far. I always did kind of think that if Duncan and Gwen entered a relationship, it would be kind of superficial. Gwen is a deep, sensitive artist who I feel needs the support of another artistic soul, which I believe fits Trent more than Duncan. As for the diary, the summary for this story before you click on it should give a clue about what will happen to Geoff and the other guys, so you may want to take another look at that (LOL at the vomit idea). To Lola: Please don't die! I'm working as fast as I can, but I have finals coming up and that deserves my attention right now. Even though I can't give you DxC right now. I hope the TxG in this chapter can suffice. To AzelmaandEponine: Thank you. I completely agree with your review! To Kagome-Inu5: Hehe, nice to meet you my new formspring friend! Yours is one of the kindest reviews anyone has ever left me. To be honest, sometimes I do wonder whether I have talent and whether I should just give up on this hobby, but people like you push those fears away and give me the strength to continue. For that, I am incredibly grateful. To D0ll: Hey Erica! Glad you're liking the story so far. I agree with your idea about the residual passion in both couples. As for DxG fans, they can be stubborn at times, but so can DxC fans from what I've seen, so we're all entitled to our believes. I just hope they will read this story and appreciate it for the writing and not hate it simply for the couples. To louis19: Nice to meet ya. Glad you're enjoying this and sorry for the wait on DxC, they're a-comin'! Just wait until my finals are over. To Alexex: Heya! It's finally up! I hope I incorporated some of your suggestion well enough into this chapter! I still might slip into old habits from time to time, but if you notice that, then just remind me in a review. To Hyperforce: Hehe, I like your name. It just sounds cool. Anyway, I'm glad you agree with my views and I especially appreciate you agreeing that DxG fans should not call Courtney a bitch. I really like her and to hear someone speak negatively of her just makes me mad. Thank you all so much, I hope you like this chapter as much as the last, and if you have sometime check out my other Total Drama stories and leave your opinions if you haven't already! Now onto Chp 8:

Disclaimer: I don't own Total Drama, but from what you guys are saying in your reviews, maybe I should. ;P

Chp 8: Fangs for the Memories

Gwen yelped with fright upon seeing the hand, and threw her hands up into the air as she turned to see a pair of large white fangs directly in front of her. The diary flew out her hands and just as quickly fell down and clonked the fanged figure directly on his noggin.

"Yeow!" Trent yelped as his rubbed his sore his head, where the diary had stuck him before he turned to Gwen and said, "Oh geez! I'm sorry I scared you! Are you alright?"

Gwen, who had been so distracted by the fangs, had failed to notice they had in fact been in Trent's mouth. Trent was decked out in a classic black tuxedo, with a black bowtie, white gloves, and a cape that was red on the interior and black on the exterior. It seemed that he had also applied white powder on his face that made his skin just as pale as Gwen's and one of his fangs had fallen out his mouth after the diary had hit him.

Gwen's cheeks grew bright red for the second time that day as she fumbled out an apology, "Omigosh! I'm so sorry! It was just the hand… and the fangs… and…"

Both teens seemed to be in a race to get a coherent apology out as quickly as possible before they both paused, took a good look at each before they both started the giggle at the situation. After what seemed like a whole minute of laughter, Trent raised his gloved hand to wipe a tear from his eye and said in a much calmer voice, "Hehe, sorry about that."

Gwen's laughter also subsided and she answered, "It was nothing. Sorry about your head…" she then bent down, picked up Trent's fang, and lightly dusted it before saying "…and you fang."

Trent reached into his pants' pocket, pulled out an alcohol wipe, wiping the fang clean before popping it back into his mouth. He gave Gwen a toothy grin, revealing his charming, though slightly more threatening smile, causing Gwen to giggle again.

"So classic vampire costume, huh?"

"Yeah, but when I told the girl behind the register at the costume store that I wanted to be a vampire, she tried to sell me body-glitter and some weird contact lenses."

Gwen rolled her eyes and said, "Vampires have sure changed since we were kids…"

"Tell me about it, but a true classic never loses its style. So what do you think about my costume?"

Gwen looked Trent over and had to admit that he really looked dashing in a cape. Plus, there was just something about seeing him in a tuxedo, even though it was so different than his usual laid-back look, there was still something about it that suited him. Gwen answered in a shy, low voice, "Um, you look good."

Trent seemed pleased with this answer and said, "Thanks! So are you and… him, going to wear matching costumes at the party?"

"You mean Duncan? No, actually I've been working on my costume since the end of World Tour, just because Halloween's kind of my favorite holiday, but Duncan said he would 'surprise' me when we got here. Personally I think he's just going to throw something together at the last minute, though."

"That's too bad," Trent responded, but his grin did grow a little, "So, what costume are you going to be wearing tonight then?"

A teasing smile appeared on Gwen's lips as she said, "I think I'm going to keep it a surprise until later…"

"Oh, that's cool," Trent said with a nervous chuckle as he scratched the back of his head, "Um… so how have you been these last few weeks? We haven't really talked since the finale of World Tour."

The smile slipped from Gwen's face as she said, "Oh, um, things have been going fine. I guess. I'm still drawing and stuff."

"Hmm, I remember your sketches. I always loved how you tried to draw something like a tree or butterfly from just the right angle and shading, so it didn't just look like a drawing, but like you had captured the actual thing in a moment of time."

Gwen froze at Trent's words, as though the weight of them had rooted her to the ground at that very spot. "You…you…really thought my sketches could do that? Why would you say that?"

Gwen looked directly into Trent's eyes with such intensity that his cheeks began to blush bright red, despite the white powder on them. "Well… yeah. I guess the reason I can say so is because I try to do the same thing when I write songs. It's like trying to capture a memory so that you can share your feelings with everybody."

"It is… It is just like that," Gwen said in a near whisper, her eyes never leaving Trent's.

Since World Tour had ended, Gwen had continued working on her art, asking Duncan for advice on how to improve, or for any general impressions he got from what he saw. What she had waited for Duncan to perceive for so long, Trent had recognized in a heartbeat.

Suddenly, the diary, which had been lying on the floor unnoticed since having conked Trent on the head, opened and the pages flipped to the recently created illustration of Bridgette. The same winding trail of green dust that the book had released before snaked its way to where the teens were standing and seemed to circle their feet for a moment. Then in one swift moment, the dust flashed through the air in a barely visible stream straight into Trent's nose. Trent began to cough as the dust filled his lungs, causing Gwen to abandon her thoughts and worriedly ask Trent is he was alright.

Behind him the diary turned from the page with Bridgette's image and on the next page a new drawing began to appear, as though being drawn by an invisible hand. The figure of Gwen began to take form, but she was dressed in the same material as Bridgette on the previous page. She was standing with her arms crossed, holding one rose in each hand; however, one of the roses was pure white while the other was so dark it was difficult to tell whether it was meant to be a deep hue of red or pure black. Gwen's head was hung, eyes closed, not facing either of the roses, and her face was looked forlorn. Underneath the drawing appeared the word _Doubt_.

A/N: Great, now the curse has spread to Trent! What new terrors await now that Gwen's image has appeared in the book. First there was Bridgette who was labeled DESIRE, now Gwen has been labeled DOUBT. Just what is the nature of the curse and the mysterious diary of Diana Dredge?

Also what did you guys think about Trent and Gwen here? Anybody spot the Twilight reference? XD Remember guys and ghouls, Lucky likes reviews! If I get enough, I might post the next chapter by Sunday or Monday!


	9. As the Sun sets

A/N: **To returning readers and new ones, please read this author's note before continuing, b/c I directly address all my recent reviews and answer some questions**: Hey everybody. Glad you guys liked the last chapter. For the reviewers: To **PhenomsServant**: Actually I'm not done with school yet. I've just been posting these chapters because I've been a little stressed over finals and this relaxes me. As for the Twilight reference, while I did allude to it, I didn't hate on it. I've never read Twilight so it would be unfair of me to make a judgment about it, but I will admit that I do have a slight respect for Stephanie Meyer. She, like a lot of us on this site, came up with an idea for a story she thought people would like and wrote it. Even if there is controversy around the quality of her work, one day I hope maybe my own work will have an audience as large as her own AND be known for good quality (hopefully). To **James95**: I mostly agree with you about Trent, though I don't quite know what a "beddie" is. When he first came onto the show, he was an idealist who believed in true love, but I suppose his break up with Gwen must have made him a colder person. Also, as I said before, I'm not hating on Twilight b/c I've never read it, but I loved your attempts to guess the symbolism of the diary! I do ask you guys these questions at the end just because I want to bring your attention to certain details within the chapter, and I am so glad you attempted to do so in your review! For Bridgette, Desire is not based on her relationship with Alejandro, but with Geoff (I'll explain more in a later chp). For Gwen, your guesses about the colors of the roses corresponding to the boys was spot on! However, your reasoning was slightly off, but I'll also explain her doubt in a later chp. I loved your guesses for Courtney's word! I'm currently stuck between Despair and another word right now. Should I go with Despair or surprise you guys? Finally, I don't know if Lindsay and Tyler will be affected by the curse... maybe, maybe not. As for Heather, at the beginning I said no one knows where Alejandro is, so who would be her love interest then? To **Lola**: You're awesome for saying so! I was worried, because I know you guys are hankering for some DxC, but if you guys trust me with this plot, I'll do my best not to disappoint! For **Caroline**: I addressed Courtney's word with my response to James95 above, read it and your review could help determine which I choose! To **spader13**: Like I said, I never read Twilight either, but I'm glad you enjoyed Trent and Gwen. I really did like writing for them. Hope you like this chp too! To **AzelmaandEponine**: Thank you! To **honey-boo-skii**: Hehe, wow I haven't heard from you in while! I'm glad you're liking this! I liked your guess for the curse, but sorry that isn't it! Ah well, I hope I have addressed all the points I set out to, and if any of you have suggestions, questions, or concerns, please let me know! Now onto Chp 9!

Disclaimer: I don't own Total Drama, but one day I may own something just as good.

Chapter 9: As the Sun sets

Just as before with Bridgette, when Gwen's image had fully appeared in the diary, the cover closed as though a silent wind had passed through the corridor. As soon as the diary closed, Trent's coughing fit ended, but he still seemed a little shaky. He gave Gwen a weak smile and said, "Sorry about that. Must have been some dust in the air. I told Geoff we should've cleaned this place better."

Gwen still wore a worried look on her face and said, "The same thing happened to Geoff a little while ago. It could be dust… I guess. Here, give me your arm. I'll walk with you to the cooler to get a bottle of water."

Trent was about to protest, claiming that he could handle himself and wouldn't want to be an inconvenience, but Gwen had already taken his arm into her own and they made their way to the stairs. As they were walking Trent stepped on something and looked down to check his feet. The edge of his shoe had touched the diary on the ground. He bent down, handed it to Gwen, and said, "Um, I think you dropped this earlier."

"Oh, that's not mine. Bridgette and I found it the attic, but I don't know why she brought it out. I should probably return it to her." With that Gwen took the diary and she and Trent headed downstairs.

The cooler happened to be near the front door, because the teens had been carrying things into and out of the house for the party. Trent reached in and took out a chilled bottle of water. Gwen noticed that Geoff was lying on a couch on the far end of the room with his back to them, apparently sleeping. Trent smiled and said, "Poor dude has been working all day. Figures he'll need some shut eye before he lets loose tonight."

Gwen looked out the window and noticed that the sun was beginning to the set over the horizon, "It's almost night-time. I hope we're ready when everybody arrives."

The front door suddenly opened and Duncan came in, carrying another box of decorations. He, like Geoff and Trent, had also already changed into his costume while Gwen and Bridgette had been in the attic. He had flattened his Mohawk, so that the he had bright green bangs hanging on the top of his forehead, while the sides of his head showed his undyed black hair. He was wearing a ragged brown t-shirt covered with holes and old, faded grey jeans with the legs cut at different lengths. For a final touch he had glued two bolts to the sides of his neck. Overall, the image he gave was of a very grungy Frankenstein's Monster. Trent raised an eyebrow and said in a skeptical tone, "Dude, that's your costume?"

Duncan plopped the box onto the floor and said, "Yeah, what about it?

Gwen, trying to put it as kindly as possible said, "Well, it's just a little… minimalist."

An annoyed expression appeared on Duncan's face as he said, "In English?"

Trent said bluntly, "Your costume is just old clothes you pulled out from your closet."

Duncan actually looked angry now and said, "Yeah? Well nobody asked your opinion Elvis! As far as I'm concerned, Halloween is about scarfing sugar and scaring the heck outta chumps. Not putting on a monkey suit and hanging out with another guy's girlfriend all afternoon!"

"Duncan!" Gwen said angrily, "It wasn't like that. Bridgette was just showing me some old stuff in the attic. I just met up with Trent like five minutes ago."

Duncan rolled his eyes and said, "Pssh. Whatever. Well unlike you, I've actually been all over the place hanging up decorations. The only place I haven't finished is in here."

An annoyed expression appeared on Gwen's face, but she had admit; she was the one who had begged Duncan to help with the party and she had ended up not helping that much herself. Gwen sighed and said apologetically, "I'm sorry. I'll finish up with the decorations in here. Trent and the others have been working a lot too, but if you need a break, could you just find Bridgette and give this back to her?" She tossed the diary through the air and Duncan caught it in his hands.

"What the heck is this thing?"

"It's a diary that Bridgette and I found in the attic. It's blank, but we think it may have belonged to the original owners of the house. I don't know why she took it out from there, but if you see her, just give it back to her for me."

"Yeah, yeah whatever," Duncan said as he tucked the book under his arms and headed out of the foyer.

Gwen turned to Trent and said, "Sorry about him yelling at you like that. I asked him to help out, and I ended up goofing around all afternoon. You should go rest like Geoff for a while, and I'll finish decorating in here."

Gwen then reached down to open the box of decorations, but Trent also leaned down and took her hand into his own. Gwen lifted her head and stared at Trent with a confused look on her face. Trent gently smiled and said, "You should go and put on your costume. Don't worry about the decorations, I'll take care it."

Trent and Gwen both rose from the floor, and Gwen suddenly realized that Trent was still holding onto her hand. With a jolt, she pulled her hand from his and her face turned bright red for what seemed like the millionth time that day.

Trying to maintain whatever composure she had left, she said, "Are.. are you sure? You and the others have been working so hard, plus you were just coughing a few minutes ago."

"It's cool. I'm feeling a lot better now. You go put on your costume and I'll finish up in here. Besides... I'm really curious what your costume is. Knowing you, it's probably amazing."

Gwen gave an embarrassed, but grateful smile and said, "If you're really sure you're feeling better... Fine, I'll try to hurry up, so I can get back and help you out." With that, Gwen went to go get her costume, but just as she was about to leave the room she turned and said, "Thank you..." before rushing off.

Trent smiled and turned to begin pulling the decorations out of the box, failing to notice to the sky becoming dark as the Sun sank lower on the horizon.

A/N: Hm, do I smell some tension in the air? You betcha! Tension between Trent and Gwen as they grow closer, tension between Duncan and Gwen as they drift farther, and tension between Trent and Duncan for... well, see the previous two tensions to get a general idea. ;)

Anyway, I've already started the next chp and it's focus will be... DUNCAN AND COURTNEY! (Insert Kermit the Frog flailing around, clapping, and screaming YeEeAahH!) So like I've mentioned before, what do you guys think Courtney's word will/should be? Do you think I should have Lindsay and Tyler fall prey to the curse, (they will be in this story, as will Sierra, Cody, Owen, Izzy, Noah, Eva, Chris, Blaineley, DJ, Sadie, Katie, Heather, Harold, LeShawna, and probably a few other others that I can't think of at the moment), but so far I've only plotted out Trent/Gwen, Bridgette/Geoff, and Duncan/Courtney falling prey to the curse. OH! I have an amazing idea! Why don't you guys send me suggestions or guesses as to what the other castmates' costumes will be! We already know that Geoff is a werewolf, Trent is a vampire, and Duncan is Frankenstein's monster. I pretty much know what the main girls are going to be wearing, but I love to her your guesses and if I like a suggestion enough, I might put it in the story! So remember kiddies, Lucky always says: READ AND REVIEW!


	10. Through the Mist

A/N: Hi everybody, I know it's been a while since I last updated. Well I can completely explain, you see there was this tornado and some aliens and mutants turtles that didn't happen to know ninjitsu and… (Lucky's bro, former known as LuckyNumber18-A, now know as WITTY appears).

Witty: Yeah… Don't believe him folks. He and I have been relaxing in sunny Miami, Florida on vacation!

Lucky: Ack! Betrayed by my own flesh and blood! Oh the irony! But it's true, I've been relaxing after last semester, just because I felt I needed some good ol' rest and relaxation. However, now I'm back home (cold, frigid home) and am ready to continue on with this story.

Witty: About time too!

Lucky: He's right, but I glad to notice that I had gotten so many comments on the last chapter, so like always I'm going to the take the time to address each one.

Hyperforce: I wasn't familiar with Brutal Legend or Winx Club, so I looked them both up, and I can see how you would link Gwen and Lindsay to those characters. AzelmaandEponine: Thanks for the compliment! Phenomservant: Hehe, I was honestly considering that idea, but I decided against it. There's an artist on Deviantart named Keytaro who actually drew a picture of Sierra dressed as Gwen! If you wanted the link, just private message me and I'll send it to you. Also thanks for the support with finals! Caroline: You have no idea how happy you make me when you tell you like my writing. I've been a fan of authors on this site too, and I know anyone with the right combo of creativity and drive can truly create wonderful stories for others to read here. I am grateful that you have taken to read and review for me and I hope I don't disappoint. Lola: Glad you like it. You know with Duncan and Courtney it's going to be one heck of an explanation! James95: Interesting costume ideas, but I haven't seen Yu-Gi-Oh in a VERY long time, and I never really followed the show that closely. However, I like your creativity with your choices though. drums247: "power" does describe Courtney very well, but I've been trying to follow a theme where each girl's word starts with "D." Thanks for the suggestion though. Princess Absahail: Hey Abby. Glad you got a formspring account! I'm glad I surprised you and I can assure there are many more to come (evilly winks). Anonymous Rex: Big Review! Me Likey! (please follow this guy's example people!) First off, thank you for your compliment. I love writing and sharing my ideas with you guys. Glad you noticed that the main boys were linked to Halloween's main monsters! Your questions show great insight into the conventions of a story like this, but I won't like reveal too much by answering here, so please keep reading and I don't think you'll be disappointed! Also, a very belated Happy Holidays to you too! KSherwood: Is that sarcasm? As for the hot glue, well… let's just Geoff isn't the first to do something like that (whistles innocently). Test: Thank you! I will. CITprincess101: I was wondering if you were the famous youtube cosplayer who recreated Courtney's scenes? If you are or are not, I'm still glad you're liking the story!

To some of my readers who have favorited my story but have not left a review, Thank you guys too! Don't be afraid to leaved reviews and private messages. Anywho, onto the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Total Drama, but I do own this story, which is very dear to my heart.

Chapter Ten

Duncan stomped through the dark hallway, mumbling to himself under his breath, "Who the heck does that pretty boy think he is anyway? So what if my costume isn't that great. I'm tough enough to scare people WITHOUT a costume on."

This last thought made Duncan feel a little better, but something kept nagging him at the back of his mind. Why had Gwen been hanging out with Trent so much today? She had said that she had only run into him a few minutes before, but it seemed like every time he had missed her today, she had ended up with Trent.

Unlike his relationship with Courtney, Gwen and Trent had ended things relatively smoothly. Sure Trent had revealed that his weird "9" thing wasn't about Gwen, but they still hadn't gotten back together after Season 2, so he had assumed they were completely over each other.

The same thing had basically happened to him and Courtney, albeit more gradually. He hated to admit it, but even though life on Total Drama was hell on earth, it was there that the two of them had met. It was with all the cameras, the lights, even the stupid challenges constantly around them that they had fallen in love, but once those things were gone, their relationship began to fall apart.

She had become so bossy since the end of Season Two, and she had asked him to change a lot of things about himself. He would never admit this to anyone, not even Gwen, but he had been really hurt by Courtney's "suggestions." Nobody told Duncan what he could or couldn't do, not his teachers, not his father, and not HER! Besides, didn't she like him for who he was?

That had been one of the reasons he had decided to pursue Gwen. Sure, one side of him loved Courtney's fiery spirit, but after spending time with her, things just became…complicated. If there was no other reason that he hated being with Courtney is that she always made things more complicated than they needed to be.

Duncan thought back in Season 1, when they had raided the fridge and had their first kiss. That night Courtney had just thrown caution to the wind, and they ended up having the time of their lives. But during Season 2, she had started to boss him around and made him feel as though the competition mattered more to her than he did. If she truly loved him, then why did she have a list of things that she wanted to change about him?

Duncan would never deny that Courtney was pretty, beautiful even, but there were lots of pretty girls on the show, like Gwen, Heather, Bridgette, and Lindsay. Sometimes Duncan wondered while he had been touring with with that band he had joined, before he had been forced back onto World Tour in London, if his falling for Courtney was like everything else on Total Drama, something manufactured by the show to gain a larger viewer audience.

By leaving Courtney, it had felt as though he was regaining control over his life. For him, Gwen represented stability, someone who would be comfortable with who he was. After all, they had similar tastes in fashion and movies, he could usually coax Gwen into joining him in playing pranks, and she was easy on the eyes.

The only thing that could be considered a problem was that he wasn't into Art like she was. He had thought much about it at first, but she had recently been bugging him about looking at her drawings and going to dumb art shows.

He had gone along with it to make her happy, but it seemed that the exact opposite was happening. She never seemed satisfied with his answers after he had looked at her art. She also no longer seemed satisfied with him just hanging out with her and her friends anymore. It seemed as though Gwen was searching for something in Duncan that just wasn't there. Duncan continued down the dimly lit hallway and wonder if all women were like this or just the ones he ended up dating.

Duncan saw a door coming up on his right and made his towards. He turned the handle and poked his head in before calling "Yo, Bridge! You in here?"

The room was filled with steam that made Duncan feel as though he was peering into a cloud. The steam carried a smell that reminded Duncan faintly of cinnamon, vanilla, and… jasmine flowers? The scent was intoxicating and Duncan instinctively moved into the steam.

The best way he could describe it was like walking like through mist, with the aroma guiding him. He continued to follow his nose until he reached a counter. He waved his hands in front of him, trying to clear the air in front of him. The air cleared slightly before him, revealing trays filled with cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and other freshly baked goods.

A smile spread across the punk's face as he surveyed the whole array of desserts before reaching for a cookie. His hands were inches from the treat when a wooden spoon emerged from the steam and rapped him across the knuckles.

Duncan yelped and instinctively drew his hand back. His eyes widened as Courtney emerged from the mist, one hand waving the steam away from in front of her, while the other was holding the offending spoon. Her eyes narrowed as she stared across the counter at Duncan, and she said in a reprimanding tone, "Don't even think about it."

A/N: Here's COURTNEY! Yeah, I know there is no real interaction between DxC as yet, but as I was writing this chapter, Duncan's thoughts took on a life of their own. Originally his thoughts were just going to mirror Gwen's but then I realized something: Boys think differently than Girls! Sorry ladies, but it's just a fact. I consider myself fairly sensitive compared to your average dude which was helpful when writing for Gwen, but with Duncan, I realized things needed to be different. Duncan's thoughts were more self-conscious, noting Gwen's external responses to their relationship, but he was also unable to really understand the rift that was forming between them, instead calling upon his own experiences, which was a great way for me to bring Courtney into the mix. As for the steam, I wanted to have an element separating Duncan and Courtney, just because if they immediately saw each other, they would probably just avoid each other, but this kind of forces them to have to talk for a bit. I'll explain why it was so steamy in the next chapter. Also, the combo of cinnamon, vanilla, and jasmine flowers are an allusion to all the baking Courtney's been doing for the party AND the various smells associated with Courtney that I've read in different fics, but personally I like the idea of her smelling like Jasmine, as they are probably my favorite flowers and in my head they seem like they would suit her. Anyway, I'll try to have the next chapter up as soon as I can, because I already have most of it outlined. Wish me luck! Also PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!


	11. Sweet Regrets

A/N: Well hello there all you happy people. Greetings, Salutations, and What's Up! LuckyNumber18 here with the chapter you guys have oh so patiently waiting for, but like always, I'd like to address my reviewers first!

Princess Absahail: Hey Abby, once again you've managed to make the cogs in my noggin turn. Although I wrote Bridgette as a compassionate characters, you've highlighted an aspect of her character in your review that I think I can use to augment the plot! Your word for Courtney is great and something I did consider, but as this chapter will reveal, I decided to take a more tragic turn. Hope you like it! To PhenomsServant: Gwen as Ramona? I never considered it before, but the two ARE very similar, as they both have a charming dry wit and an endless stream of guys after them. Sadly, I don't think that costume will fit into what I have in mind, but I still appreciate the suggestion. To Kankurosnumber1girl: Interesting suggestion for Sierra's costume, but I have something else in mind that will still cause Cody the same amount of discomfort. Also, thanks for the Courtney support. The poor girl needs all she can get. Also, this chapter will reveal her word. To princess luna: Thank you so much! Yes, Jasmine is one of the sweetest flowers I have ever smelled and I think it would suit her perfectly. Also, your English is fine. To blackthorn-slytherin: Welcome first-time reader! Yeah, dropping the Heroes story wasn't an easy choice, but the heart wants want the heart wants, y'know? Anyway, thank you for your kind words, and I hope that the fans of my Heros story will appreciate this story as well. To LittleNissMagicalKayla: I felt that the steam created a good tension, just because if they had seen each other right off the bat, they probably would've just avoided each other. This forces them to interact and figure things out. To anonymous rex: Thank you. Getting into Duncan's mindset wasn't easy, but heck if I don't like a challenge! To KSherwood: Okay then. Your welcome. To GreenDucks: Thanks. My updates are kinda sporadic, I humbly apologize, but it's the best I can do. To CITprincess101: Here it is. I hope ya like it! To TDfangirl967: Hey Jeanette! Long time no see, but I guess that's mostly my fault. Glad you like the last chapter and I hope you dig this one.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, but my words own your attention if you're reading this.

Chp 11: Sweet Regrets

Courtney sighed as the steam between her and Duncan grew thick again. She said in deadpanned tone, "Wait here," before she turned and disappeared into the steam. Duncan heard on odd click, then a strange shuffling noise. The steam began to dissipate, and Duncan saw that Courtney had opened a window.

Duncan cocked an eyebrow and said in a confused tone, "Hey, why didn't you do that from that start, instead of having to wander around in that cloud?"

"I did it to keep the food warm. It's a cold autumn eve Duncan, and everyone knows baked goods taste better when they're still warm. This kitchen is ancient, so it really doesn't have a proper ventilation system," Courtney said as she returned to the counter. A small, but proud smile crept onto face as she added, "Besides, I have this place so well organized that I could literally cook with my eyes closed."

Duncan rolled his eyes at that last statement. Typical Courtney. He looked around and saw that now that the steam was gone, the kitchen was almost spotlessly clean. Although, the furniture, and even the old fashioned oven Courtney was working by looked about as ancient as his grandma (if not older), they still sparkled with a shine that reeked of Courtney's need to have everything prim and proper.

"That's your costume? What are you supposed to be anyway?" said Courtney as she got a good look at exactly what Duncan was wearing.

"Frankenstein, it's supposed to be, ehh… minimalistic," Duncan replied quickly, hoping that the word Gwen had used to describe his costume earlier would keep Courtney from bugging him about it.

"Well, that's a surprise."

"Why? You know I like horror movies."

"No, not that. I'm surprised you actually know what minimalistic means."

Duncan felt his face flush in annoyance and said, "Oh yeah? Well at least I have a costume! Where's yours?"

Courtney narrowed her eyes and said, "That is none of concern, and for your information, Bridgette isn't here. So why don't you go look for her while I finish cooking." Courtney then turned away from Duncan and made her way to the oven.

On the top of the oven, Duncan saw the source the steam coming from three boiling pots. One was filled with caramel, another with chocolate, and the last with a boiling red candy-like substance. With a swift motion of her hands, Courtney grabbed three juicy looking red apples that had sticks jutting out from their tops and dipped each one within a different pot. After she stirred each stick for a few moments, she pulled them out from the pots to a reveal perfectly coated caramel apple, a chocolate-coated apple, and a red candied apple. She placed them on a cooling tray and covered the first with chocolate sprinkles, the second with orange sprinkles, and the last with rainbow sprinkles. She then placed them with the rest of the finished apples.

Duncan couldn't help but smile at this. He picked up a cookie and said, "Heh, who would have thought Ms. Future Lawyer would have a sweet spot for baking?"

As he brought the cookie to his mouth, Courtney's wooden spoon came down on his knuckles once more, causing the punk to howl out in pain and dropped both his treat and the black diary he had brought into the kitchen.

"Those aren't for you," Courtney said in an icy tone, "I've been baking in here too long for you to come in here and eat all my hard work."

Duncan's brow furrowed and he took his aching fingers from his mouth and said, "Well, Excuse me Princess!"

Courtney froze and her eyes grew wide with surprise. However, she quickly recomposed herself, though her cheeks were still on odd shade of pink. In a low voice she said, "You called me Princess."

It was now Duncan's turn to blush, but he quickly turned his head away, hoping she wouldn't notice. Courtney lowered her eyes and said, "You haven't called me that since… you haven't called me that in a while."

"Yeah, so what?" muttered Duncan quietly, still not turning his head to make eye contact with her.

"It's just… why did you start calling me that in the first place? Why Princess?"

Duncan finally turned to meet her gaze and said, "Do you really want to know?"

Courtney nodded.

"Fine, but first promise me you'll let me talk WITHOUT butting in every two seconds."

Courtney rolled her eyes and said impatiently, "Just get on with it."

"Well, when we first met on the island, you and I fought like cats and dogs straight from the start. I knew I was going to use my street smarts and skills from juvie to try and win, but you struck me as one of those spoiled, whiny Princess types who had had mommy and daddy do everything for you."

A twitch appeared in Courtney's eye and Duncan noticed that the wooden spoon she had been holding previously had been replaced by a larger, much more menacing rolling pin.

Duncan quickly raised his hands in defense and said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up Courtney! That was when I FIRST met you. After that, you showed me that despite being a stickler for the rules, you could be just as tough as any guy from juvie."

Courtney cocked an eyebrow at the awkward compliment, but she had at least put the rolling pin down.

Duncan took comfort in this and continued, "It was weird. You were just as tough as I was, but you were so different at the same time. It was like when I was with you; things I normally did all the time, like messing with people and kicking butt were suddenly exciting again because you were there with me. It made me feel… special."

Courtney sighed as she mused over those memories and said, "It was like you were showing me a whole new world back then…"

The warmth suddenly faded from her face as her thoughts shifted forward to the recent past and she said accusingly, "Too bad it wasn't meant to last!"

It was Duncan's turn to get upset as he said, "Oh yeah? Lemme guess whose fault that was."

"YOUR'S!" They both shouted simultaneously.

"WHAT? WHAD'DYA MEAN IT'S MY FAULT?" They both shouted again.

"Grr…STOP DOING THAT!" They both shout once more.

Just when it seemed the former couple would continue this embarassing pattern, Duncan cupped his hands over Courtney's mouth. He made the motion for her to breathe slowly and calmly. Courtney seemed to grumble underneath his hand, but she complied and breathed slowly while Duncan slowly lifted his hand from her mouth.

Though she was slightly calmed, Courtney refused to let Duncan just walk away from this fight. This had been something she had been wanting, no NEEDING, to do since their break-up, despite her best efforts to put the whole thing behind her. She looked straight into his eyes and said, "This whole thing is your fault."

"Don't start this again."

"You cheated on me, just when I was finally becoming friends with Gwen. After everything we had together, you threw it all away on PUBLIC TELEVISION just to have a quick fling."

"Me deciding to date Gwen wasn't just on a whim Courtney! I had been thinking about our relationship for a long time. Yeah, we had history, but we were always fighting! During Season 2, right before Season 3, was it so wrong for me to want something more stable?"

"Ha! Like you're one to talk about stability! No matter how much I tried to help you improve yourself, you were always fighting me all the way."

"That was your fault! You were the one always trying to change me! Forgive me for actually liking who I am as a person!"

"Oh like you're any better! You were always trying to get me to join you in your delinquent antics and accusing me of being a goodie-two-shoes! Face it Duncan, you're just as bad as I am!"

Both teens were panting after all their arguing. Courtney groaned and then turned back towards the area were the apples had been cooling. She reached over and grabbed a bottle of water, which she took a hearty swig from before she offered the rest to Duncan, who gratefully accepted.

After he finished drinking, he stared at Courtney with a forlorn expression on his face and said, "Princess, why do we keep doing this to ourselves?"

Courtney didn't answer, but simply stared down at a tray of cookies on the counter. Duncan looked down at them and noticed they were skull-shaped. Some were frosted with the traditional white and black coloration, but there were a few cookies that were different. They were covered in chocolate frosting, with dark chocolate squiggles etched across the surface that resembled the rings found on carved wood.

Duncan's eyes flickered with recognition as he said, "Those look just like that…"

Before he could finish, Courtney reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, wooden skull. She and Duncan both stared at it in silence for a while.

"You kept it?"

"You gave it to me. It's mine."

"Why did you keep it?" Duncan asked, trying to sound nonchalant even though his heart was pounding so hard as he awaited her response that he could feel each beat throughout his entire body.

Courtney looked down at the skull, then her eyes rose to meet Duncan's, but they seemed filled to the brim with tears. "I kept it… because I thought you loved me, but I was wrong. You humiliated me. After all the sacrifices I made on the show. I lost a challenge just because I saw a rock that looked like you. I refused to strip a guard because I knew it would upset you. I deliberately threw challenges to eliminate my new friend after you broke up with me just because I couldn't stand to see you happy with another girl that wasn't me. Now this skull is only good for one thing: for reminding me what happens when you trust your heart and ignore your head."

The diary, which Duncan had dropped after Courtney had whacked him with the spoon for taking a cookie, opened once again and green dust began to surround the oblivious teens. Suddenly, the green dust shot up into Duncan's nose in a barely visible stream.

The punk began to cough and reached for the water Courtney had given him earlier. Seeing him erupt into a coughing fit, Courtney hurried around the counter and tried lightly patting Duncan on the back.

The two teens didn't see as an image began to appear on a blank page within the book. Lines of ink began to twist and unfurl across the page until an image of Courtney appeared. She was wearing the same type of fabric that Bridgette and Gwen had been wearing in their pictures, except her dress was ragged and tattered. The Courtney in the picture was on her knees, hands to her face as large tears poured from her eyes. Before her laid a dark rose, but its petals were wilted and dry. Underneath Courtney's picture, in the same handwriting that _Desire_ and _Doubt_ had appeared under Bridgette and Gwen's pictures respectively, the word _Despair_ emerged.

A/N: Dominance… pride… those are both words that describe Courtney, but I truly feel that Despair fits in there with them. For a girl whose goal is to win at life, it must be hard to lose both the game and her man. Duncan and Courtney remind of a lot of other couples that have interested me. They are both strong and determined people, so they naturally find that attractive in their partners, but it always creates a mounting tension between the two until it drives them apart. The phrase, "I hate loving you," sums up the sentiment of this chapter and these characters very well. So what will happen now that poor Courtney has been added to the Dark Diary? Wouldn't you like to know? XP

Maybe if you ask really nicely in a REVIEW (yeah I know, but I'm not a subtle person), I might consider telling. Anywho, I hope you guys liked it and I can't wait to get to the next, where the magic begins to affect the boys! BTW, try talking to me on Formspring. It takes anonymous question, so it's just like reviewing anonymously here, but I can answer you more quickly there, rather than you having to wait until the next chapter. Just google Formspring, then search for MrLuckyNumber18. :)


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